General

Reuse Programs in Boulder County

It's always a good idea to recycle, but it's an even better idea to practice reuse first, just like you learned your 3R's--reduce, REUSE, recycle. Reuse means extending the life of an item by using it more than once, and can save time, money, energy and resources. Reuse also helps our local economy by creating jobs and providing quality products to people and organizations with limited means.

How do I choose reuse?

There are countless ways you can choose reuse in your daily life, everything from carrying your own refillable water bottle to donating your unwanted couch. Choose reuse is not only what you do when you have something you no longer want, like a couch or computer. Choose reuse is also what you do when you need something. Shop secondhand stores or browse online exchange sites before you head to the department store to buy something new. When you do buy something, make sure it's a quality, durable product that can be reused by you and others, rather than a cheap disposable you'll have to replace in an hour, a month or a year.

The ReSource Yard accepts reusable building materials and other household items for resale. Peruse current items on their website.

Tour de Thrift Maps - Your Guides to Secondhand Shopping

This guide is being updated! Please check back soon.

Boulder County has a wealth of great secondhand stores for clothing, furniture, books and more. Shop these outlets first, instead of buying new, to reduce your impact on our environment, promote Zero Waste, support our local economy and save money too. We've pulled together these maps of secondhand stores in the area to help you chart your course to less waste!

ReSource Tool Library

A Tool Library is a place where residents can borrow tools from a comprehensive, centralized tool inventory. By sharing resources, a Tool Library leverages communal purchasing power to ‘do more with less’, and puts tools in the hands of those with limited means. Visit Boulder's Tool Library at ReSource at 6400 Arapahoe and rent or donate tools today.

Repair Resources

Boulder County U-Fix-It Clinic!

Repair toys, lamps, electronics and more at one of Boulder County's U-Fix-It clinics! Learn more >>

ifixit

ifixit helps you repair household and electronic items by offering free online repair guides. You can share your expertise and help the effort expand. Check it out!

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About Us

Eco-Cycle is one of the largest non-profit recyclers in the USA and has an international reputation as a pioneer and innovator in resource conservation.

We were established in 1976 by everyday residents who had a passionate belief in conserving our natural resources. These Eco-Cycle volunteers brought recycling to town in 1976, making Boulder one of the first 20 communities in the U.S. to offer curbside recycling. We continue to be driven by these same passions and innovative actions.

Eco-Cycle…

is your community recycling processor. Since the Boulder County Recycling Center opened in 2001, we have processed your recyclables, and we continue to do so today as the operator of the county-owned Boulder County Recycling Center.

works to constantly create new recycling opportunities, such as the CHaRM, or Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials, Colorado's first community recycling center for electronic waste and many other unusual materials.

is a social enterprise, reinvesting revenues back into Zero Waste programs that reach every sector of the community.

provides award-winning educational programs to over 25,000 kindergarten through 12th grade students in approximately 1000 Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley classrooms annually.

provides educational services for the community, including a Boulder County recycling hotline 303-444-6634 (M-F, 9-5) to answer all your recycling and waste reduction questions, and an army of more than 750 volunteers county-wide.

Our Mission

Eco-Cycle’s mission is to identify, explore and demonstrate the emerging frontiers of sustainable resource management through the concepts and practices of Zero Waste. We believe in individual and community action to transform society’s throw-away ethic into environmentally-responsible stewardship.